October 2007: Marking Seven Years

Monday, October 1, 2007

Issue:

94

1. EDITORIAL
Sam Cook

As reflected in this edition of the PeaceWomen E-News, the seventh year since the adoption of Resolution 1325 was marked this month. Also this month was UN Day and WILPF released a statement on 24th of October to mark the sixty-second anniversary of the creation of the UN (see Item 4). As it usefully instructs, “Get back to the Charter: WILPF believes it is time to undertake a Universal Periodic Review of all UN Member States of how they live up to their commitments, not only in the human rights field, but under the United Nations Charter as a whole.” And in relation to 1325, it importantly notes that “women's participation in decision-making is essential for human security and human rights: As acknowledged by the Security Council resolution 1325, to be legitimate and democratic, decision-making must be shared; tables seated only by men, or a vast majority of men, are simply not acceptable in 2007.”

The participation of women in decision-making is but one aspect of Resolution 1325, though one in which the gap between rhetoric and reality is clear. Another area for serious concern and, in fact, outrage, is that of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict. Several of our news items (Item 2) reflect this problem and the concerns of advocates and some decision makers. Our Feature Resources section (Item 6) highlights a new publication by the Geneva based DCAF (Democratic Control of Armed Forces) which looks at the issue and at its implications for the Security Sector through a global overview profiling 51 countries. This and efforts such as that to catalogue peacebuilding approaches in our Feature Initiative section (Item 5) are good examples of engagement by civil society with the specific issues contained in Resolution 1325. It is the case, however, that we need to move beyond rhetoric to reality through demonstrable actions by governments. Many have taken steps to implement the resolution on the national level and the Austrian 1325 National Action Plan (see Item 6) is the latest of these efforts. Unlike many such action plans which are broad policy commitments, this plan is a good example of the inclusion of specific actions and efforts to monitor progress and impact through indicators and tracking of budgetary allocations.

In Item 3 we reflect the marking of the “anniversary” of Resolution 1325. This month has been an interesting time as many women, peace and security advocates have grappled with how to mark this occasion. There is a need to acknowledge the significance of the resolution and the occasion of the anniversary of its passage and to note progress made in its implementation. At the same time there is a strong desire to avoid falling into empty ritual and false celebration. October at UN Headquarters in New York offers an excellent opportunity to highlight women, peace and security issues. This is when many have specifically scheduled time to “pay attention” to 1325, and the holding of an Open Debate on these issues within the Security Council is now a tradition. Canada certainly reflected the sentiments of many when it said that it “would like to suggest that this year the Security Council begin a new tradition of assessing the implementation of this resolution in a deliberate and concerted way throughout the year.” It was, however, hard to miss the anniversary fatigue and cynicism as people asked “will this debate be in any different,” and “will it actually make any difference to the situation on the ground.” In fact, in the months leading up to October many asked if it was really worth engaging in or advocating for a potentially empty “talk fest.” As it turned out, Ghana, who held the presidency of the Security Council in October, wanted to hold an Open Debate on women, peace and security and was eager to make it worthwhile. And so, we and other NGOs and UN colleagues engaged in the open debate anniversary ritual with the aim of seeing concrete commitments and action from the event held on the 23rd October.

Was it worth it? At some level such debates are useful as a measure of the current attitudes of governments to the issues. In our survey of the Open Debate (Item 3 below), can be found links to the PeaceWomen thematic index of the debate and what governments said in relation to certain key themes. Overall what this year's debate usefully revealed was the growing frustration of many Member States with the status of local level implementation. Also revealed was the desire of many Member States (including Security Council members) to see the establishment of a mechanism within the Council to drive the implementation of 1325 and, furthermore, for the Council to take decisive steps to address sexual and gender-based violence. Many NGO advocates had hoped for similar commitments as is seen in the statement delivered at the Debate on behalf of the NGO Working Group on women, peace and security (see Item 7). The Presidential Statement issued at the Debate was, in these respects, a serious disappointment and does not do much more than repeat language from previous statements. It is all the more disappointing since we are aware that the ideas of increased monitoring and reporting on sexual violence and a commitment to explore the establishment of a Security Council mechanism were proposed. Many (including Security Council members) advocated strongly for their inclusion. Unfortunately the negotiation process resulted in a statement that reflects no more than the lowest common denominator and the views of those Council members who have resisted making any meaningful commitments to 1325. For many such members it has become a matter of arguing that issues of, for example, sexual violence in conflict are not within the purview of the Security Council. However, as the UK representative so eloquently put it: “Conflict is the business of the Council. The evidence from countries on the Council's agenda today shows how much remains to be done. There is continued sexual violence on a massive scale in the conflict-affected areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo…..The cruelty of the sexual violence inflicted upon women and children, in particular as a weapon of war, is unspeakable. This is not a debate about the institutional niceties of whether the subject does or does not belong on the Council's agenda. This is a debate about protecting people who are suffering as a result of conflict.”

We hope that the strong opinions expressed by several Member States at the Open Debate are one more layer of pressure on the Security Council and that, at the very least, this can be counted as incremental progress in implementation of the resolution.

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We continue to welcome contributions to the newsletter's content. Contributions for the November 2007 edition should be sent to enewssubmissions@peacewomen.org by 15 November 2007.

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2. WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY NEWS

UN CHIEF: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN SURGES
October 24, 2007 - (AP) The U.N. secretary-general warned that violence against women has reached "hideous" levels in some countries trying to recover from conflict, and the U.N. Security Council demanded an end to impunity for rape and other sexual abuse.

SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR BOOST TO WOMEN'S ROLE IN PEACE AND SECURITY
October 23, 2007 – (UN News) Recognizing the recent progress towards including women in the search for peace, justice and reconciliation, the Security Council today urged countries and the United Nations system to enhance female participation in decision-making and to take specific steps to protect women and girls from gender-based violence during conflicts.

SENIOR UN OFFICIALS CALL ON MEMBER STATES TO ADDRESS RAPE AS A WEAPON OF WAR
October 22, 2007 – (UN News) On the eve of a Security Council debate on the role of women in peace and security, two senior United Nations officials have stressed the need to combat gender-based violence and to ensure that violations of women's rights, including the use of rape as a weapon of war, are viewed as a security issue.

CONFLICT LEAVES WOMEN STRANDED IN DIVIDED KASHMIR
October 18, 2007 – (Womens Enews) In Indian-controlled Kashmir women with husbands on the other side of the militarized zone have spent years and decades struggling for reunion. In the meantime they endure official suspicion and harassment and struggle for their daily survival.

SOUTH AFRICA: SA MEN'S FORUM OUTLINE GENDER CHALLENGES
October 17, 2007 - (AllAfrica) Lack of coordination, resistance from traditional and religious leaders and commitment from the private sector is hampering efforts to achieve gender equality, according to the South African Men's Forum.

TURKEY: WOMEN CONDEMN TURKEY'S NEW DRAFT CONSTITUTION
October 14, 2007 – (Women living under muslim laws) Women's groups in Turkey have condemned a new draft constitution, saying it sets the country back years in terms of gender equality. A new civilian constitution is being prepared to replace the current one, introduced after a 1980 military coup. The document describes women as a vulnerable group needing protection.

ZIMBABWE: STATE VIOLENCE TARGETS WOMEN SAYS REPORT
October 12, 2007 – (IRIN) In a preliminary report detailing widespread state violence, including the torture and the unlawful detention of its members, a Zimbabwean social movement is warning southern Africa's political leaders to temper their optimism about the country's prospect of free and fair elections next year.

DRC: RAPE CASES UP BY 60 PERCENT IN NORTH KIVU – UNHCR
October 12, 2007 - (IRIN) A total of 351 cases of rape were reported in North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), representing a 60 percent increase from August, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on 11 October.

SUDAN: DARFUR ATTACK "TARGETED WOMEN AND CHILDREN"
October 10, 2007 (IRIN) - The recent attack on Muhajiriya town in South Darfur, in which 45 people died and thousands fled their homes, mainly targeted women, children and the elderly, a rebel faction said.

BURUNDI: NO PROTECTION FROM RAPE IN WAR AND PEACE
October 9, 2007 - (Amnesty International) Amnesty International and ACAT -- Burundi (Action des Chrétiens pour l'Abolition de la Torture) today called on the Burundian government to take immediate action to protect women and girls from rape and other sexual violence in Burundi.

BAHRAINI AUTHORITIES IMPOSE MEDIA BLOCKADE ON WOMEN ACTIVIST GHADA JAMSHEER
October 7, 2007 – (Defending Women – Defending Rights) The president of the Women's Petition (WP), the Bahraini activist Ms Ghada Jamsheer revealed the existence of a formal decision preventing her from appearing in any of the Bahraini media.

RAPE EPIDEMIC RAISES TRAUMA OF CONGO WAR
October 7, 2007 - (New York Times) Denis Mukwege, a Congolese gynecologist, cannot bear to listen to the stories his patients tell him anymore. Every day, 10 new women and girls who have been raped show up at his hospital. Many have been so sadistically attacked from the inside out, butchered by bayonets and assaulted with chunks of wood, that their reproductive and digestive systems are beyond repair.

NO SOFT TOUCH: THE WOMEN OF BURMA HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FORCE TO RECKON WITH
October 5, 2007 - (The Irrawaddy) As the mother of a four-month-old baby, Nilar Thein should be at home now, caring for her little daughter. Instead, she's a fugitive with a price on her head, in hiding from Burmese government forces desperate to silence her and other outspoken activists.

ZIMBABWE: MINISTRY TO TRAIN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ON GENDER BUDGETING
October 4, 2007 – (AllAfrica) The Ministry of Women's Affairs, Gender and Community Development will soon train senior Government officials on gender budgeting as part of efforts to make budgeting systems in various institutions gender responsive, an official has said.

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3. seventh anniversary of resolution 1325

UN SECURITY COUNCIL OPEN DEBATE ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY
United Nations Headquarters, New York, 23 October 2007

The Permanent Mission of Ghana, which held the Security Council Presidency during the month of October, organized this debate that took place on 23 October 2007. All 15 members of the Security Council, 38 Non-Security Council Member States, 4 UN Entities and 2 Civil Society representatives made interventions.

Belgium
As we speak — at this very moment — thousands of women are victims of sexual violence in its most atrocious forms. Who among us has not reacted with horror when reading the reports on the sexual violence committed against women in the Kivus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or in the Sudan? Therefore, some might wonder: what is the point of another debate in these hushed halls of the United Nations? We have the duty to answer that question by going beyond statements and reaffirming our political commitment to combating violence against women, using all means at our disposal.
In conclusion, the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) represents an extremely complex challenge. The Security Council must show the way forward. We believe it is urgent to strengthen its capacity to follow up on problems related to gender-based acts of violence in armed conflict. To that end, the Council must have better-targeted reporting at its disposal.

Benin
International judicial bodies must be more involved in punishing gender-based violence against women. If national jurisdictions do not address that issue effectively, the International Criminal Court should itself be encouraged to take up cases of large scale rape and sexual exploitation of women and young girls. We believe that to be an appropriate approach, given the astronomical number of documented victims cited in the report of the Secretary-General.

Canada
[Re the situation of sexual violence in DRC] The Security Council can make a difference here. It has a crucial role to play in the effective, timely and systematic implementation of Resolution 1325. Over the past few years, many of us have stressed the need for an effective monitoring mechanism. We couldn't be more in need of one than we are right now.

The creation of a monitoring mechanism and the regular presentation of disaggregated data and status reports will increase the Council's capacity to design and implement peace support mandates to better respond to such violence, and ensure the integration of prevention strategies to address violence against women and girls in the work of UN country teams. Canada will continue to support the Council's implementation of its commitments, including in country specific contexts, and to support efforts to enhance Council and wider international action in this area.

Liechtenstein
The Security Council therefore has a vital role to play in ensuring that targeted measures are taken to protect women and girls from rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict situations and that there is no impunity for such acts does. The referral of the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court was a landmark decision, both legally and politically. It was a strong message by the Security Council that the international community does not accept impunity for the most serious crimes under international law, including gender-related crimes. We would like to encourage the Council to continue to consider the ICC as a policy option - referrals to the ICC must, however, be accompanied by sustained political support from the Council through all phases of the judicial proceedings, and must in some situations be accompanied by other substantive measures.

The Netherlands
The grave violations of women's human rights through massive rape and other sexual violence require the immediate attention of organisations like the International Criminal Court and other relevant tribunals. The Security Council can play a role in this by referring such cases to the ICC. We have to give a clear signal to the perpetrators that the international community is no longer tolerating impunity for these heinous crimes.

Last but not least, uncomfortable issues like rape and other forms of sexual violence against women, should be openly discussed with and by governments, members of parliament, militia leaders and opinion makers. By us. The Security Council has to raise its voice on this issue. The Big Silence has to stop. I hope that this debate in the Security Council will give this clear message to the international community.

United Kingdom
The issue of sexual and gender-based violence against women is as much about perpetrators and tackling impunity as it is about victims. Those accused of such violations should be named, shamed and brought to fair trials. The Security Council will only limit its ability to ensure long-term peace and security in many of the countries on its agenda if it does not address gender-based violence.
Zambia (for SADC)
The high number of victims of violence continues to be a concern for SADC. We are saddened that women continue to bear the brunt of grave violations of human rights, including violence and sexual abuses. We condemn all those parties that perpetuate acts of violence and abuse against women and children. We call for the speedy investigation of all cases of violence and sexual abuse, especially those committed against women and children. The culture of impunity must be stopped by, among other things, bringing to justice all the perpetrators.

Canada
In his 2007 report, the Secretary-General concluded that without concerted efforts by Governments and civil society at the country level, implementation of this resolution will continue to lag. In order to ensure a focus on women's rights and equality issues within its country- and region-specific work, Canada calls upon the Council to commit to regular consultations with representatives of women's organizations in the countries that are on the Council's agenda.

Congo
Moreover, the Congo is convinced that it is necessary to establish a subsidiary body on women and peace and security whose mandate would be, inter alia, to ensure the effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000).

Indeed, such a mechanism would help not only to strengthen the actions of the Security
Council by speeding up the implementation of that resolution but would also help to perpetuate the positive changes in the situation and the role of women, in particular in the case of countries in a conflict or post-conflict situation, as well as enhancing coherence in the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) at various levels.

Croatia
Croatia welcomes the fact that the Council's attention was seized with an issue of ensuring stronger accountability mechanisms for the integration of SCR 1325 into the country-specific and related thematic work of the Council. Croatia would welcome if Security Council would consider establishing a dedicated monitoring mechanism that would increase the Council's contribution to preventing and prosecuting violence against women in armed conflicts.

Germany
Mr. President, Germany welcomes the initiative by several countries, including Security Council Members, to develop a mechanism to ensure the systematic integration and implementation of Resolution 1325 in the work of this council, including resolutions, reporting requests, and field missions.

Liechtenstein
Several member States and many civil society organizations have highlighted in the past the need for the Security Council to develop a reporting and monitoring mechanism to ensure the systematic integration and implementation of resolution 1325 in its own work. Such a mechanism could address implementation gaps at the international level, such as inadequate monitoring and reporting on implementation by field missions, particularly on grave violations of human rights, such as sexual violence, and improve the information basis for Council deliberations. It would also strengthen the accountability for the implementation of the resolution at the national level, while allowing for better informed definition of relevant capacity building needs. We support this idea and call upon Council members to provide the Security Council with more effective oversight on the implementation of resolution 1325, including through the establishment of a monitoring mechanism with appropriate leadership to ensure its active engagement with all aspects of the work of the Council. We are of view that - after seven years - the time has come to realize the establishment of such a mechanism. Strengthening the protection of women and girls in conflict-affected societies from rape and other forms of sexual violence should be important enough to translate the many calls for such a mechanism into concrete action.

France
How do we explain the fact that in spite of specific references in certain Council resolutions and statements, many of the peace processes still take place without women and without taking into account their concerns and contributions?
Mr. President, before concluding, allow me to refer to a few areas where 1 believe we should focus our efforts in post-conflict phases: […]

- Participation in decision-making processes. The access of women to elective office is an important element. One can only welcome in this regard the examples of Rwanda, Burundi and Liberia. But we must also ensure that women, especially through their organizations, are involved in all decision-making processes;

Ghana
As the organ with primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the Council has more than a functional interest in ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women in all aspects of peace and security.

Indonesia
We need to ensure that fair treatment and the protection of women are incorporated into all phases of peace processes. A negotiation which satisfies the needs of the parties requires that all relevant actors be involved irrespective of their gender. Women are habitually underrepresented and bring additional interests and roles to bear which need to be integrated in any peace process, including as victims and witnesses. Including women may have the added benefit of opening up the palette of options for successful negotiation by increasing the number of issues at stake and subsequent bargaining leverage. A key issue is the identification of and selection of women who can participate in peace negotiations. Like their male counterparts, female participants should be linked to the greater community and have a representative stake in the outcome.

Women represent over half the world's population today and their presence in political processes in many parts of the world is growing. But, they are underrepresented in the phases of conflict resolution, peace and security in places where conflict persists. Men still are dominantly represented in these processes, with the result that women are often disenfranchised.

Norway
Still, we must conclude that we are still far from where we should be. Women are still too often neglected in peace negotiations; they are not allowed to participate on equal terms with men. Women's perspectives are still disregarded, their concerns and needs overlooked.

Slovakia
The active and equal participation of women in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and peacekeeping, including in peace and reconciliation efforts, represents the best way to eliminate gender-based violence, sexual abuse and all other forms of violence against women in conflict situations. Women's empowerment plays a critical role in peace and security processes.

Croatia
My delegation shares the view already expressed by other delegations that it is also important for the Secretary-General to consider appointing more women as special representatives and envoys to conduct good offices missions in his name, and to seek to increase the role and contribution of women in United Nations operations on the ground as military observers, civilian police personnel, human rights specialists and members of humanitarian operations. Substantial progress has been achieved, but additional effort must be made to remove the last remaining obstacles to the full implementation of the resolution.

Republic of Korea
So far, the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) is far from sufficient. Women continue to be excluded from or marginalized in peacemaking and peacebuilding processes. There has been some integration of gender perspectives, but it has not been systematic, nor has it adequately encompassed all facets of the process, including conflict prevention, early warning, peacekeeping operations, humanitarian responses, post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation.

Bangladesh
As one of the largest troop contributing countries to UN PKOs Bangladesh is ever conscious of her responsibilities to incorporate essential e1ements of 1325 in the pre-deployment training of peace-keepers. As a member of the PBC we remain vigilant in our focus on the provisions of 1325.

France
The report that the Secretary-General has submitted on the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) (S/2007/567) reflects the profusion of initiatives to train personnel for peacekeeping operations, to rethink the organization of refugee camps in order to take into account women's specific needs, to support women who are victims of violence and to fight impunity.

Canada
The UN System-wide Action Plan, alongside national implementation strategies, represents an important first step toward meeting the need for effective monitoring of and accountability for 1325 implementation. However, the ongoing obstacles to its implementation are now familiar to us all, both for the UN and at the national level. The main challenge is that the tenets of the resolution have not been systematically institutionalized and accountability mechanisms are not in place.

Denmark
The 2008-2009 Action Plan is conceptualized to become a results-based programming, monitoring and reporting tool. We welcome the sharpened focus on five thematic areas of prevention, protection, participation, relief and recovery and thereby the shift from project to programme implementation. A broader framework linked to national peace and reconstruction processes is provided. It commits the UN system to enhance coherence and to integrate a gender perspective.

Effective links between the Action Plan and the national implementation efforts are not yet well established and need special attention.

Malawi
We note with concern from the report of the Secretary-General contained in document S/2007/567 that institutional gaps and challenges such as inadequate funding for gender-related projects and insufficient institutional capacity for gender mainstreaming in peacekeeping and peace-building operations impeded the full implementation of the United Nations System Wide action Plan on Women, Peace and Security for 2005-2007. However, we are confident that these challenges and gaps will be addressed as the United Nations embarks on the implementation of the United Nations System Wide Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security for 2008-2009 which, as we understand it, is "a results based, programming, monitoring and reporting tool".
Peru
We share the view that the Action Plan's central objective must be to develop the capacity of United Nations operations to support peace as well as post-conflict and reconstruction efforts so that they can assist States in their efforts to strengthen national capacity to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women in the areas of peace and security. In that connection, we support the Secretary- General's proposal that a system-wide evaluation of the progress achieved in the coordinated implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) be conducted in 2010, followed by the submission of a report to the Security Council.
Finally, we believe it is important that the international community support the national implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) as well as the United Nations System-Wide Action Plan, particularly by providing sufficient financial resources in a timely and sustainable manner.

Argentina
As a result of our own experience, we recognize the importance of launching national action plans for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). Such plans must be developed through a participatory process and must include mechanisms for monitoring and accountability on the part of Governments to ensure not only that a greater number of women participate in a country's decision-making processes, but also that their complaints and needs are taken into account at all levels of the State, particularly in institutional reform processes, including reform of the legislative, judicial and security systems.

Austria
In August this year, the Government of Austria adopted a national action plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). The plan was developed in close consultation with all stakeholders, including nongovernmental organizations and academics. It foresees actions to be taken at the national, regional and international levels, including the following actions: the percentage of women among Austrian personnel in peace missions shall be raised, including by offering specific incentives to women; training programmes for Austrian personnel in peace missions shall be reviewed in order to systematically address gender aspects and the rights of women, including a firm zero-tolerance policy on sexual abuse and exploitation. Austria will continue to lobby for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) in the European Union and other regional and international organizations. Austrian development cooperation in post-conflict situations will continue to focus on gender-specific programmes. The Austrian action plan is designed as a living document and will be reviewed annually. We are, therefore, very interested to share experiences and good practices with all countries. I am confident that the national action plan will be an effective tool for reinforcing our efforts to fully integrate gender aspects into our activities in the field of peace and security.
Congo
My Government understands the need to eliminate all obstacles to the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000), and we remain convinced that success more than ever requires close cooperation between Member States and the United Nations system. Only then can our objectives be achieved. For its part, Congo is working to mainstream the gender perspective in many sectors of public life and to involve women in all stages of the peacebuilding process, in particular the negotiation and implementation of peace agreements, on the basis of the Beijing Platform for Action and resolution 1325 (2000).

At the regional level, Congolese women are involved in the International Conference on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes Region and are actively participating in the work of the thematic groups and in meetings of the preparatory committees. In that framework, they participated in the meeting of women from the Great Lakes region on peace and security held last year in Kinshasa.

Germany
Let me re-emphasize that Germany, as a friend of resolution 1325 (2000), is deeply committed to the vision of that landmark resolution and continues to undertake various efforts to realize that vision. The German Government will account for its efforts and will present, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, a detailed report to our Parliament on German contributions to implement resolution 1325 (2000). The report will document a variety of measures contributing to the implementation of the resolution both at the national and the global levels — ranging from efforts to increase representation of women in all decision-making mechanisms for the prevention, management and resolution of conflict to concrete projects aimed at ending violence against women all over the world.

Portugal (on behalf of the European Union)
Nowadays, gender equality concerns are mainstreamed into our development and cooperation policies and in the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), as well as in other EU projects and programmes. We wish to highlight the three-year partnership with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) launched in April 2007 to build capacity and improve accountability for gender equality in 12 countries, with a specific focus on women in peacebuilding and the implementation of Security Council 1325 (2000). Also, the EU Conflict Prevention Network will be exploring ways of assuring the effective implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) by the international community, Governments and local civil society organizations. The Council of the European Union has also adopted conclusions on gender equality and gender mainstreaming in crisis management, which are currently being implemented at all levels of European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) missions. The EU Council stressed the importance of fully implementing resolution 1325 (2000) from the early planning stages to the conduct and evaluation of ESDP missions and operations.

South Africa
Also, South Africa has joined with Sweden and others in promoting the Partners for Gender Justice initiative. The aim of that initiative is to forge a more coordinated and integrated system of collaboration to assist national stakeholders in achieving gender justice in conflict affected countries.

Germany
Mr. President, The promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment - be it in the context of conflict resolution or in attaining the internationally agreed development goals - is an essential part of the UN mandate. A coherent and effective Implementation of this mandate, including Security Council Resolution 1325, needs a coherent and effective gender architecture. Germany supports the respective concept paper prepared by the DSG, Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro.

The Netherlands
Third, I would like to call for the speedy conclusion of the ongoing consultations about the new gender entity of the UN and to stress, that this entity will have to make violence against women an urgent issue. We should also support the UN-agency programmes directed against violence against women, especially the UN Trustfund
to End Violence against Women, administered by UNIFEM.

Sixty-two years ago, a generation that had experienced the horror of war devised the structure, aims and principles of the United Nations, by which peoples and governments commit to work together to prevent and eliminate war and cooperate to build conditions for peace. That war is preventable – that succeeding generations can be saved from the scourge of war itself – is a concept that 192 countries have affirmed by joining the UN. Some wars have been prevented; too many have not.

Through this essential international forum, all nations can meet on an equal basis to establish and implement international law and treaties. At the UN governments can and have promoted social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom. Human rights standards have been defined and defended, and enormous strides forward have been made to affirm and protect the equal rights of women and men through the UN.

The United Nations has achieved a lot, yet is maligned and denigrated. At the same time it is expected to resolve all the ills of the world, but in the name of efficiency, with reduced human and economic resources. While UN information centres are closed down, while translation services are cut that inhibit effective communication among governments, and while departments are cut and rationalised, military spending by governments soars to beyond the absurd Cold War levels.

Get back to the Charter: WILPF believes it is time to undertake a Universal Periodic Review of all UN Member States of how they live up to their commitments, not only in the human rights field, but under the United Nations Charter as a whole.

Women's participation in decision-making is essential for human security and human rights: As acknowledged by the Security Council resolution 1325, to be legitimate and democratic, decision-making must be shared; tables seated only by men, or a vast majority of men, are simply not acceptable in 2007.

Our world shows – you get what you pay for: If investment is made in war and weapons – war, death and mutilation are the result. If investment is made in real human security, development and equality– peace is the result. If the UN Charter were implemented, if economic cooperation took the place of military competition, peace would prevail.

The Security Council has failed: Sixty-two years after the fact the Security Council has failed to deliver on an essential task outlined in Article 26 of the UN Charter, which requires it to deliver a plan for the "least diversion of human and economic resources to armament." Instead, the permanent 5 members of the Security Council have participated in arms races and weapons profiteering; they have promoted insecurity. Sixty-two years late is very late indeed, but better late than never – the Security Council must deliver the Article 26 plan to stop wasting the world's wealth on weapons that kill and mutilate.

Governments should reduce military spending and report annually to the UN's international standardized reporting of military expenditures, established under UN General Assembly Resolution 46/25. These resources should be reallocating to tackling the real daily threats to human security such as climate change, the distribution of wealth, hunger, organised crime, and trafficking in drugs, people and arms.

Peace in the Middle East must be on the basis of UN resolutions: Efforts for peace between Israel and Palestine should take place within the United Nations and be based on the principles established through UN resolutions: Security Council Resolution 242 (1967) calls for the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied, Security Council resolution 252 (1968) highlights the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by military conquest, Security Council resolution 271 (1969) addresses Jerusalem, Security Council resolution 338 (1973), reaffirms resolution 465 (1980), addressing Israel's illegal demographic changes, resolution 476 (1980) and resolution 681 (1980) both similarly address fundamental issues related to Israel's illegal occupation. WILPF calls on Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon to convene a high-level negotiation and peace process within the UN, and calls on the international community to apply pressure and create an enabling environment for the negotiation of a zone free of nuclear and all weapons of mass destruction in the region.

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How to I publish my approach?

Submitting your approaches to Global Peacebuilders for potential publication in the catalogue is fast and easy. You do not have to write new material, or prepare a lengthy report of your work – simply fill in the short submission form and return it by email to sarah@springboard-opps.org

Every approach submitted will be assessed by a Selection Panel of experts from the fields of peacebuilding, conflict resolution and peace research in Northern Ireland, and 20 final approaches will be selected for publication in the catalogue in January 2008.

This report demonstrates the horrifying scope and magnitude of sexual violence in armed conflict. The first part of the report, the Global Overview, profiles documented conflict-related sexual violence in 51 countries - in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East - that have experienced armed conflict over the past twenty years. Each profile contains a short summary of the conflict, a description of forms of sexual violence that occurred and, where available, quantitative data on sexual violence.

The second part of the report, entitled Implications for the Security Sector, explores strategies for security and justice actors to prevent and respond to sexual violence in armed conflict and post-conflict situations. It focuses in particular on peacekeepers; police; the justice sector, including transitional justice; civil society initiatives; and how DDR programmes can address sexual violence.

Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict: Global Overview and Implications for the Security Sector is an important resource for security sector and development institutions, advocates, humanitarian actors, and policy makers seeking to address sexual violence during and after armed conflict.

Contact Information

If you would like to receive a free copy of the report, please contact:

The Austrian Federal Government confirms its commitment to the objectives of SC Resolution 1325 (2000) and has for this purpose included the Resolution's provisions in the government programme as a focus of international peace efforts. The UN Secretary-General as early as 2004 called upon the UN Member States to prepare their own national action plans to implement the Resolution, which was last reaffirmed in a statement of the Security Council Chairman on 7 March 2007.

The Austrian Action Plan shows the commitment of the Austrian Government to implementing SC Resolution 1325 (2000) in the humanitarian, diplomatic, peacekeeping and development-policy activities of Austria and strengthens cross-departmental cooperation on this topic.

The most important objectives of the Austrian Action Plan on implementing SC Resolution 1325 (2000) are as follows:

-Increasing the participation of women in the promotion of peace and the resolution of conflicts, in particular by supporting local peace initiatives of women;
-Preventing gender-based violence and protecting the needs and rights of women and girls within the scope of peace missions, humanitarian operations, as well as in refugee and IDP camps;
- Increasing representation of Austrian women in international peace operations as well as in decision-making positions in international and European organisations.

Measures to be taken to this end include:

- Political commitment and activities of Austria at international and regional levels;
- Specific activities to support women and girls in post-conflict regions;
- Specific human resources management with the aim to increase the representation of women among deployed personnel as well as to consistently pursue a “zero tolerance policy” on sexual abuse and prostitution.

Good Morning. I would like to thank the Security Council for this invitation and honor to be with you today. I am here on behalf of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, a coalition of international civil society organizations formed in 2000 to advocate for a Security Council resolution on women, peace and security. We continue to advocate for its full and effective implementation. Unfortunately, it is the case that we are not at a point where we can say that the implementation of 1325 has been coherent and effective and we value the opportunity to discuss this as we mark the seventh year since the adoption of 1325.

The coalition now comprises 12 organizations, including Amnesty International, Boston Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights, Femmes Africa Solidarité, Global Action to Prevent War, Global Justice Center, Hague Appeal for Peace, Human Rights Watch, International Alert, International Women's Tribune Center, Women's Action for New Directions, the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, United Methodist Women's Division, and the PeaceWomen Project of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

The strength of the coalition lies in its role in providing gender and human rights expertise at the highest levels of international policy-making. By harnessing NGO members' networks with women's groups from conflict-affected areas, the coalition represents a unique and important linkage between women in conflict-affected regions and United Nations policy-makers.

Seven years later, we come here before you to ask the question what has the implementation of 1325 meant for the situation of women and girls in Sierra Leone, in the DRC, in Liberia, in Burundi, in Cote d'Ivoire, in Afghanistan, in Haiti, in Timor Leste, and all other situations on the agenda of the Security Council?

Seven years later, women and girls in situations of armed conflict continue to be subjected to widespread and systematic sexual violence. This is a matter of international peace and security.

Seven years later, women remain largely excluded from the very structures that make the decisions to sustain peace or to engage in conflict and are still marginalized in peacemaking and peacebuilding processes. This is a matter of international peace and security.

Seven years later, the integration of 1325 into the work of the Security Council remains inconsistent. This means that in the situation in Darfur, women are still struggling to be part of peace talks in Tripoli. This means that in the situation of the Democratic Republic of Congo, sexual violence continues unabated and with impunity.

Greater efforts must be undertaken to end impunity and to prosecute those responsible for crimes against women, particularly sexual violence - not only in the states where the crimes occurred and the states of which the suspects are nationals, but also in other states where suspects may be found.

Seven years later, there are still no monitoring or accountability mechanisms to ensure the coherent and effective implementation of 1325. These are matters of international peace and security.

We note the progress that has been made and which has been mentioned by other speakers here this morning. We would like to focus on the role of the Security Council in driving progress in the implementation of 1325. It does make a difference when the Security Council integrates 1325 into its work.

For instance, in the June 2006 mission to Sudan led by the United Kingdom, Security Council members met with women's groups and gender experts in both Khartoum and Darfur. Two months later on August 30th 2006, the Security Council issued a resolution that both invokes 1325 and contains useful gender-specific language.

Resolutions need to contain such language. However, where mission mandates contain adequate language on the integration of a gender perspective or women's human rights, too often the ‘gender mandate' is not reflected in the directives, guidance, terms of reference, and incentive structures for the mission's staff, including the Special Representative.

Mandates also need to contain standard provisions for regular and adequate monitoring and reporting on implementation of 1325 by the field missions. There needs to be reporting on concrete and specific issues that address questions such as: What is the status of women's participation in the maintenance and promotion of peace and security? What is being done to ensure that women are able to effectively participate in elections? What work is being done with national women's machineries in regard to matters of security?

As the situation stands, some field missions do have a mandate to monitor and report on, for example, grave violations of human rights, but the data and trends regarding many violations, such as sexual violence, are still lacking. Reports need to provide a picture of the security situation in regard to women, especially the violence that affects their everyday lives.

Strong accountability mechanisms and systems are imperative to drive and support effective, timely and systematic implementation. Such a mechanism would help address inconsistency in invoking resolution 1325 in the directives from the Council to the field, and inadequate monitoring and reporting on implementation by field missions – particularly on violations of human rights, such as sexual violence.

The NGO Working Group respectfully urges the Council to consider how it could provide more effective monitoring and reporting on the implementation of 1325, including through the establishment of a focal point and an expert-level working group with appropriate leadership to ensure its active engagement with all aspects of the work of the Council.

We would like to thank you for your attention and to end with a quote from Ms. Barbara Bangura from Sierra Leone who spoke last October. She said:

“Women rely considerably on the guidance and assistance that the United Nations, in its many forms, provides. 1325 can only be successful if the Security Council is proactive in the use of the resolution in their work. As such, the onus is on you here in New York, to cast your light on the path we follow. Our failure is your failure. Our successes, your successes.”

The course aims at promoting gender equality in the world of work, by introducing participants to gender concepts. The course provides an adaptable set of conceptual and information tools to bring gender equality concerns into the mainstream of labour-related development activities and into participants' everyday work, whether it be in a trade union, entrepreneurial, governmental or non-governmental environment.

"Making Governance Gender Responsive (MGGR)" is a generic course that can be adapted and modified to suit the needs of the different countries in Asia-Pacific. The initial training module was developed by the Center for Asia-Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP), with funding support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through its Asia-Pacific Gender Equality Network (UNDP-APGEN) and the Regional Governance Programme for Asia and the Pacific (UNDP-PARAGON).

The training is intended for men and women involved in::
* Electoral politics (all levels: national, provincial, city/municipality)
* The bureaucracy (all levels: national, provincial, city/municipality)
* Political parties (officials and members)
* Training Institutes (government, private sectors and non - government)
* Development of governance policies, programs and projects.
* Working with NGO's, civil society groups interested in gender, governance and leadership.
*Women and men who are simply interested in the question of gender, governance and leadership.

Nonviolence training provides Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) with essential peace building skills and concepts. These skills and concepts focus on ways to increase social mobilization and countervailing power. Nonviolence training aims to empower marginalized groups so that they can assert their rights, create their own opportunities, and access resources.

WPP will support nonviolence trainings during 2008, by providing financial support, links to trainers and resource people, and/or training materials.

For further information please contact Cristina Reyna:
Email: c.reyna@ifor.org
Tele: + 31 (0)72 – 512 30 14
Deadline: November 15, 2007 (for projects that will be conducted after January 1 but before July 1, 2008)

Are you a young woman working for women's rights in the context of religious fundamentalisms? If so, we welcome your application to a Young Women's Institute on Challenging and Resisting Religious Fundamentalisms from the 18th-21st of November in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Institute is part of AWID's (the Association for Women's Rights in Development) multi-year initiative to create a better understanding of religious fundamentalisms and women's human rights. This initiative aims to produce research on the issue across religions and regions, and to create new resources to support women's rights organizations resisting and challenging fundamentalisms. This Institute will allow participants to explore the issues in depth whilst at the same time enabling participants to hone their skills, articulate their own visions, and work collaboratively on strategic and cutting-edge responses to this area of women's rights work.

The Institute will be conducted in English, though provision may be made for translations into French and/or Spanish and/or Arabic, depending on the needs of the participants accepted to attend the Institute.

To be eligible to attend this Institute you must:
- be aged 18-29
- have at least 2 years experience working on gender issues, women's rights or feminist activism (voluntary or employment), preferably also with experience working with young women or youth activism;
- be working on women's rights issues which are directly affected by religious fundamentalisms and able to share your analysis about this impact as well as existing or proposed responses led by young women;
- be willing to work with AWID after the institute and make a commitment to participate in any follow-up activities.
Cost: Full scholarships to cover travel and accommodation are available to selected participants at the discretion of AWID. However, all participants will be expected to fundraise to pay a registration fee of $75US. The registration fee will NOT be waived.

Building African Women's Movements: A Movement-Building Institute
November 19-22, 2007, Johannesburg, South Africa
Just Associates (JASS), in partnership with Action Aid International and Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, (OSISA)

Just Associates (JASS), in partnership with Action Aid International and Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, (OSISA), is organizing a 4-day movement-building institute around Building African Women's Movements. This institute is the first phase of a long-term process that aims to strengthen the leadership, strategies and collective power of African women living with and working on HIV/AIDS in order for their voices and demands to be visible and influential at all levels of decision-making.

For more information, please click HERE

Gender Unbound; An International Conference in the area of Law, Gender and Sexuality
Nov 19 – 21, 2007, Salzburg, Austria

This research conference seeks to explore issues of sex and sexuality within the context of persons and interpersonal relationships and across a range of critical, contextual and cultural perspectives.

Participants in this five-day workshop will analyze gender responsive budgeting as a strategic tool to boast gender equality mainstreaming in economic planning and financial management.

For more information, please click HERE

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
November 25, 2007, Worldwide
United Nations

By resolution 54/134 of 17 December 1999, the General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and invited governments, international organizations and NGOs to organize activities designated to raise public awareness of the problem on that day.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign originating from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute sponsored by the Center for Women's Global Leadership in 1991. Participants chose the dates, November 25, International Day Against Violence Against Women and December 10, International Human Rights Day, in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such violence is a violation of human rights. The 16 Days Campaign has been used as an organizing strategy by individuals and groups around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women by:

*raising awareness about gender-based violence as a human rights issue at the local, national, regional and international levels
*strengthening local work around violence against women
*establishing a clear link between local and international work to end violence against women
*providing a forum in which organizers can develop and share new and effective strategies
*demonstrating the solidarity of women around the world organizing against violence against women
*creating tools to pressure governments to implement promises made to eliminate violence against women

For more information about the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, please contact:
Center for Women's Global Leadership, Rutgers
The State University of New Jersey,
160 Ryders Lane, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8555 USA
phone: (1-732) 932-8782; fax: (1-732) 932-1180
e-mail: cwgl@igc.org
website: http://www.cwgl.rutgers.edu.

Editorial:

As reflected in this edition of the PeaceWomen E-News, the seventh year since the adoption of Resolution 1325 was marked this month. Also this month was UN Day and WILPF released a statement on 24th of October to mark the sixty-second anniversary of the creation of the UN (see Item 4). As it usefully instructs, “Get back to the Charter: WILPF believes it is time to undertake a Universal Periodic Review of all UN Member States of how they live up to their commitments, not only in the human rights field, but under the United Nations Charter as a whole.” And in relation to 1325, it importantly notes that “women's participation in decision-making is essential for human security and human rights: As acknowledged by the Security Council resolution 1325, to be legitimate and democratic, decision-making must be shared; tables seated only by men, or a vast majority of men, are simply not acceptable in 2007.”

The participation of women in decision-making is but one aspect of Resolution 1325, though one in which the gap between rhetoric and reality is clear. Another area for serious concern and, in fact, outrage, is that of sexual and gender-based violence in conflict. Several of our news items (Item 2) reflect this problem and the concerns of advocates and some decision makers. Our Feature Resources section (Item 6) highlights a new publication by the Geneva based DCAF (Democratic Control of Armed Forces) which looks at the issue and at its implications for the Security Sector through a global overview profiling 51 countries. This and efforts such as that to catalogue peacebuilding approaches in our Feature Initiative section (Item 5) are good examples of engagement by civil society with the specific issues contained in Resolution 1325. It is the case, however, that we need to move beyond rhetoric to reality through demonstrable actions by governments. Many have taken steps to implement the resolution on the national level and the Austrian 1325 National Action Plan (see Item 6) is the latest of these efforts. Unlike many such action plans which are broad policy commitments, this plan is a good example of the inclusion of specific actions and efforts to monitor progress and impact through indicators and tracking of budgetary allocations.

In Item 3 we reflect the marking of the “anniversary” of Resolution 1325. This month has been an interesting time as many women, peace and security advocates have grappled with how to mark this occasion. There is a need to acknowledge the significance of the resolution and the occasion of the anniversary of its passage and to note progress made in its implementation. At the same time there is a strong desire to avoid falling into empty ritual and false celebration. October at UN Headquarters in New York offers an excellent opportunity to highlight women, peace and security issues. This is when many have specifically scheduled time to “pay attention” to 1325, and the holding of an Open Debate on these issues within the Security Council is now a tradition. Canada certainly reflected the sentiments of many when it said that it “would like to suggest that this year the Security Council begin a new tradition of assessing the implementation of this resolution in a deliberate and concerted way throughout the year.” It was, however, hard to miss the anniversary fatigue and cynicism as people asked “will this debate be in any different,” and “will it actually make any difference to the situation on the ground.” In fact, in the months leading up to October many asked if it was really worth engaging in or advocating for a potentially empty “talk fest.” As it turned out, Ghana, who held the presidency of the Security Council in October, wanted to hold an Open Debate on women, peace and security and was eager to make it worthwhile. And so, we and other NGOs and UN colleagues engaged in the open debate anniversary ritual with the aim of seeing concrete commitments and action from the event held on the 23rd October.

Was it worth it? At some level such debates are useful as a measure of the current attitudes of governments to the issues. In our survey of the Open Debate (Item 3 below), can be found links to the PeaceWomen thematic index of the debate and what governments said in relation to certain key themes. Overall what this year's debate usefully revealed was the growing frustration of many Member States with the status of local level implementation. Also revealed was the desire of many Member States (including Security Council members) to see the establishment of a mechanism within the Council to drive the implementation of 1325 and, furthermore, for the Council to take decisive steps to address sexual and gender-based violence. Many NGO advocates had hoped for similar commitments as is seen in the statement delivered at the Debate on behalf of the NGO Working Group on women, peace and security (see Item 7). The Presidential Statement issued at the Debate was, in these respects, a serious disappointment and does not do much more than repeat language from previous statements. It is all the more disappointing since we are aware that the ideas of increased monitoring and reporting on sexual violence and a commitment to explore the establishment of a Security Council mechanism were proposed. Many (including Security Council members) advocated strongly for their inclusion. Unfortunately the negotiation process resulted in a statement that reflects no more than the lowest common denominator and the views of those Council members who have resisted making any meaningful commitments to 1325. For many such members it has become a matter of arguing that issues of, for example, sexual violence in conflict are not within the purview of the Security Council. However, as the UK representative so eloquently put it: “Conflict is the business of the Council. The evidence from countries on the Council's agenda today shows how much remains to be done. There is continued sexual violence on a massive scale in the conflict-affected areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo…..The cruelty of the sexual violence inflicted upon women and children, in particular as a weapon of war, is unspeakable. This is not a debate about the institutional niceties of whether the subject does or does not belong on the Council's agenda. This is a debate about protecting people who are suffering as a result of conflict.”

We hope that the strong opinions expressed by several Member States at the Open Debate are one more layer of pressure on the Security Council and that, at the very least, this can be counted as incremental progress in implementation of the resolution.

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